Yesterday, we were very undecided. Our original plan was to go to Vaux-le-Vicomte, but as it was very cloudy so not very conducive for taking pictures of garden, we hesitated (Sorry Françoise, but don’t despair, we will ultimately go!). So we look at our guide and we finally opted for Provins. But with all of these hesitations, we missed a train which means we started out a little later than expected.

Provins was on our list of places to visit since we arrived but one thing to another, we never found the time to go. In fact, we had some concerns that this medieval city, classified as a UNESCO World Heritage site, was going to be full of souvenir shops and crowded with tourists. However, to our delight, the town has preserved its charm without being destroyed by tourism.

Situé à 90 km au sud-est de Paris, Provins connût son heure de gloire au 12e et 13e siècle alors qu’elle était un centre important d’échanges commerciaux à ses foires bi-annuelles. En fait, elle était la 3e ville en importance en France à cette époque; sa population atteignait 15 000 habitants, alors qu’on en compte plus que 13 000 aujourd’hui. Une partie du mur d’enceinte qui la protégeait existe encore aujourd’hui. Une balade y est possible si cela vous tente de monter et descendre plusieurs escaliers. / Located 90km southeast of Paris, Provins had its heyday in the 12th and 13th century when it was an important centre of trade with its bi-annual fairs. In fact, it was the third largest city in France at the time; its population was 15,000 inhabitants, while it has 13,000 today. A part of the wall that protected the city still exists today. A walk is possible if you feel like it going up and down several flights of stairs. (Photo – Suzanne)La tour César, construite au 12e siècle, domine le paysage de Provins et donne de belles vues sur la ville. Il s’agit d’un donjon qui servait à la protection de la ville. Le ciel lourd nous a suivi tout l’après-midi malgré quelques espoirs d’éclaircies. / The Cesar Tower, built in the 12th century, dominates the landscape of Provins and provides beautiful views of the city. It was a dungeon that served to protect the city. The heavy sky followed us all afternoon despite some expectations of sunny spells. (Photo – Pierre)La Collégiale Saint-Quiriace fut édifiée au 12e siècle par le Comte Henri le Libéral. Des difficultés financières ont empêché la réalisation complète du projet et l’église se compose seulement du chœur et du transept. Son aspect dénudé lui donne un certain charme. / The Church of St. Quiriace was built in the 12th century by Count Henry the Liberal. Financial difficulties prevented the completion of the project and the church consists only of the choir and transept. The sober appearance gives it a certain charm. (Photo – Suzanne)Après son heure de gloire, Provins est tombée rapidement dans l’oubli. Cette disgrâce a permis à Provins de préserver son patrimoine architectural et urbain très homogène. Provins est inscrit au Patrimoine Mondial de l’UNESCO depuis 2001. Une partie de la ville est construite sur un éperon rocheux et l’autre sur le contrebas. Cela donne une rue en pente assez abrupte qui essoufle un peu à la remontée de la ville basse à la ville haute. La ville a aussi conservé un certain nombre de maisons à colombages. / After its heyday, Provins quickly fell into oblivion. This disgrace has meant tha Provins was able to preserve its very homogeneous architectural and urban heritage. Provins is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2001. Part of the city is built on a rocky outcrop with a further development in the lower part. This gives a fairly steep street that makes you out of breath when you go from the lower to the upper town. The city also retains a number of half-timbered houses. (Photo – Pierre, Suzanne, Suzanne, Pierre, Pierre)Thibaud IV, comte de Champagne, revint des Croisades au 13e siècle avec la rose de Damas. Aujourd’hui, la rose est l’emblème de Provins et on la retrouve partout. Nous étions évidemment à la saison de floraison et elles étaient splendides. / Thibaud IV, Count of Champagne, returned from the Crusades in the 13th century with the damask rose. Today, the rose is the emblem of Provins and it’s everywhere. We were obviously in the flowering season and they were wonderful. (Photo – Pierre)